U.S. women's soccer star Alex Morgan, and Canadian star and former University of Portland star Christine Sinclair are headed to Portland, filling the first roster spots for Thorns FC.

The forwards should bring dynamic scoring punch to the Thorns, who also will have midfielder Tobin Heath, defender Rachel Buehler, defender Luz Sauceo, defender Marlene Sandoval and goalkeeper Karina LeBlanc on their roster after the allocation of 55 players from the United States, Canada and Mexico national teams to the NWSL's eight teams on Friday.

World player of the year Abby Wambach was allocated to the Western New York Flash along with Carli Lloyd, while former UP star Megan Rapinoe will join goalkeeper Hope Solo as cornerstones of Seattle Reign FC.

One of the premier forwards in women’s soccer, Morgan burst onto the scene as a go-to substitute for the United States during the 2011 FIFA Women’s World Cup and followed that up with a breakout performance during the London 2012 Olympics, helping the USA earn its fourth gold medal overall in the sport.

Morgan, 23, was selected as U.S. Soccer’s Female Athlete of the Year in 2012 leading all U.S. scorers with 28 goals and a team-high 21 assists and becoming just the second player after Mia Hamm to record 20 goals and 20 assists in a calendar year.

Already ranking 12th on the all-time goal scoring list for the United States (38 goals in 58 appearances), the native of Diamond Bar, Calif., scored three times during the London Olympics, including the latest goal ever scored in a FIFA competition when she headed in the game-winning goal in the 123rd minute of the USA’s dramatic 4-3 comeback win against Canada in the semifinal round, helping lead the U.S. to the gold medal match against Japan.

"I'm really excited to be considered part of the Portland Thorns organization and I'm happy to see where all of my other teammates were allocated," Morgan said during a league conference call Friday. "As part of the national team we're very excited to be part of this league, to grow the game of soccer in the U.S. and for me personally to continue my dream of playing in the U.S."

Morgan has played two international friendlies at Jeld-Wen Field with the United States, scoring a first-half hat trick on Nov. 28, 2012, in a 5-0 win against the Republic of Ireland. She also added a goal in her first appearance in Portland, tallying the third goal in a 3-0 win against Canada on Sept. 22, 2011.

"The Northwest is a great soccer area, and I had firsthand experience with that last year," Morgan said. "So continuing in the Northwest, I'm looking forward to putting that jersey on for the first time under Merritt Paulson and Cindy Parlow, and playing with some teammates that I've played with before and some new ones."

One of the new ones is Sinclair, a two-time NCAA national champion with the University of Portland (2002, 2005) and the niece of two former NASL-era Portland Timbers players, Bruce and Brian Gant, currently ranks in third place on the all-time international goal-scoring list for women’s soccer with 143 goals in 190 appearances for Canada trailing only Hamm (158) and Wambach (152).

Widely recognized as one of the top forwards in women’s soccer, Sinclair recently helped lead Canada to a bronze medal at the London 2012 Olympics, finishing as the tournament’s top scorer with six goals including a hat trick against the United States on Aug. 6, 2012, in a dramatic 4-3 semifinal loss.

Heath, 24, is regarded as one of the most technically skilled midfielders on the U.S. Women’s National Team. Earning 60 caps to date with the United States, the native of Basking Ridge, N.J., has developed into a starter and key substitute during the last four years. Appearing in all six matches (4 starts) at the London 2012 Olympics, the former University of North Carolina midfielder tallied three assists in her second major international tournament at the senior level. In 2011, Heath made four substitute appearances for her country during the FIFA Women’s World Cup.

Here's the full allocation list for all eight of the National Women's Soccer League teams: